The present invention relates generally to systems for determining the depth and distance to objects, and more particularly to such systems that employ optical apparatus and lenticular screens to make the measurements.
There are numerous techniques of measuring the distance to an object, including parallax rangefinders that employ optical or manual systems wherein an operator dials two images into alignment and reads the distance thereto from a dial, for example. However, such rangefinders are only useful in determining relatively long distances, on the order of 10 to 1000 meters. Electronic triangulation systems have been designed that include a laser light source and a linear spot sensor. These systems determine the shift in spot location relative to a reference to determine the distance to a remote object. Such electronic triangulation systems are able to measure distances on the order of about one half inch. Laser rangefinders have been developed for military uses such as laser guidance and tracking systems, and the like. Also, sonar rangefinders have been developed by Polaroid and Texas Instruments, for example, for commercial use in cameras. However, such conventional systems are typically not designed to measure very close distances, on the order of 3 feet to 30 feet.
Therefore, it is a goal of the present invention to provide for a system that determines the distance to or depth to an object. It is also a goal of the present invention to provide for a system that measures relatively short distances to or depth of an object, on the order of 0 to 10 inches with high resolution.